Afghanistan
About parliament
Basic information such as the official name of parliament and details of its structure and leadership. Also includes the current breakdown of MPs by sex and age, and provisions for quotas and reserved seats.
Notes
Parliamentary term: 3 years for members of local District Councils; 4 years for members of Provincial Councils; 5 years for presidential appointees.
Parliament name
Jirga (National Assembly)
Chamber name
Meshrano Jirga (House of Elders)
Structure & Status of parliament
This field is to indicate lower/upper in the back end.
Upper chamber
Parliamentary term (years)
5
Frequency of renewal (years)
For parliaments/chambers are that are partially renewed (by half, by one third) on a regular basis.
3
IPU membership
Affiliation periods
from 1990 to 1992
from 2007
IPU Geopolitical Group/s
IPU Geopolitical Groups: African Group, Arab Group, Asia-Pacific Group, Eurasia Group, Group of Latin America and the Caribbean (GRULAC), Twelve Plus Group.
Asia-Pacific Group
Speaker
Speaker
Click for historical data
See historical data for this field.
Secretary General
The post of Secretary General is currently vacant
Yes
Members
Statutory number of members
Statutory number of members, as defined in the constitution or other fundamental law.
Principal mode of designation of members
Indirectly elected
Compare data of this field.
Indirectly elected members
Indirectly elected, for example by regional parliaments or an electoral college.
68
Appointed members
Appointed, for example, by the Head of State.
34
Note on the statutory number of members
The statutory number of members of the House of Elders is three times the number of existing provinces (currently 34).
Indirectly elected members: these include one representative from each of the 34 Provincial Councils, serving a four-year term; and one representative from each of the 34 local District Councils, serving a three-year term.
Appointed members: appointed by the President for a five-year term.
The appointed members include two persons with disabilities, and two nomads.
Between December 2005 and January 2015, the 34 seats reserved for District Councils were filled by members of the Provincial Councils. They will remain vacant until District Council elections are held.
Indirectly elected members: these include one representative from each of the 34 Provincial Councils, serving a four-year term; and one representative from each of the 34 local District Councils, serving a three-year term.
Appointed members: appointed by the President for a five-year term.
The appointed members include two persons with disabilities, and two nomads.
Between December 2005 and January 2015, the 34 seats reserved for District Councils were filled by members of the Provincial Councils. They will remain vacant until District Council elections are held.
Current number of members
Number of members who currently hold seats in parliament. May be lower or higher than the statutory number of members.
Men
The number of male parliamentarians who currently hold seats in parliament.
49
Women
The number of female parliamentarians who currently hold seats in parliament.
Percentage of women
Calculated by dividing the current number of women by the current number of members.
Statutory number of members per country
As defined in the constitution or other fundamental laws. Combines the number of parliamentarians in both chambers in bicameral parliaments.
Population (in thousands)
Source: United Nations, World Population Prospects.
Inhabitants per parliamentarian
Calculated by dividing the population by the statutory number of parliamentarians.
Age
Data on the age of parliamentarians is collected at start of the legislature, following the most recent elections. This data is not updated during the legislature.
Average age of all members
Youngest member (years)
Age at the time of the last election or renewal.
Youngest member
Latif Khan (Male)
Oldest member (years)
Age at the time of the last election or renewal.
91
Oldest member
Professor Hazrat Sibghatullah Mujadidi (Male)
Number of members, by age
| 18 - 20 | 21 - 30 | 31 - 40 | 41 - 45 | 46 - 50 | 51 - 60 | 61 - 70 | 71 - 80 | 81 - 90 | 91 and over | Totals per gender | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Totals per age interval | 0 | 0 | 11 | 17 | 8 | 17 | 9 | 2 | 4 | 0 | |
| Total <= 45: 28 | Total >= 46: 40 | ||||||||||
| Male | 0 | 0 | 10 | 13 | 5 | 9 | 7 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 50 |
| Female | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 |
Members for whom data is available
Reserved seats and quotas
There are reserved seats in parliament for certain groups
Reserved seats are a means to ensure the parliamentary representation of certain groups in society.
Number of reserved seats, by group
Women
17
Persons with disabilities
2
Notes
2 seats for nomads according to Article 84 of the Constitution
The President shall appoint 50 per cent of 34 presidential appointees from amongst women in accordance with Article 84 of the Constitution.
The President shall appoint 50 per cent of 34 presidential appointees from amongst women in accordance with Article 84 of the Constitution.
Electoral quota for women
Quotas to promote the representation of women in parliament.
Legal source
Legal text that stipulates the quota, such as the Constitution or electoral law.
Constitution, art. 84
Electoral quota for youth
Quotas to promote the representation of youth in parliament.
Links to additional information
Parliamentary website
Link(s) to parliamentary web site in English, French and/or local languages.
Rules of procedure/Standing Orders
Link(s) to Rules of procedure on the parliamentary web site in English, French and/or local language.
Constitution
Official links to the Constitution in English, French and/or original language is provided. Links to unofficial translations where no other source is available.